Month: February 2018

If my puppy was wearing a Fitbit, hers would have 20,000 steps to my 10K. As I walked down the sidewalk, she walked across it, up in the yards, out on the curb and back again. Continuously.

We both arrived at our final destination at the same time, but her route had much more stimulation and engagement. There are many more sensory treats to explore on the sidelines vs. the sidewalks, and she took full advantage of the opportunities.

I think about the parallels for the workplace. Often senior members stay on the sidewalks and follow the traditional path. Unfortunately, they expect junior colleagues to do the same. Newer employees are like puppies that want to have the freedom to get to the finish line in their own way. They want autonomy and latitude to reach the same goal.

It is impossible to make a puppy stay on the straight and narrow course, just as it is fruitless to mandate that all employees follow narrowly-defined parameters. Let up on the leash and see what treasures your “puppies” can find for your organization.

I needed to walk a few blocks after a snowstorm and was grateful that someone had gone before me to create a path…

…until I started walking. It turns out that it is more difficult to walk in someone’s footsteps than it is to traverse on fresh powder. The previous impressions are uneven and spaced at different intervals than my gait, requiring greater effort to move forward compared to walking on the edges where the snow was untouched.

I think it is like that in organizations, too – it is easier to create a new path than to attempt to make progress by remaining in the ruts.

Keep this in mind when you are hesitant to go first. Blazing a trail sounds difficult, but it is actually the worn path that impedes progress.

If you pay attention to the opening credits of movies, you will notice that they are longer than they used to be. Whereas one major studio used to bankroll an entire show, now you will see multiple production companies involved in presenting the film.

I first noticed this when I saw The Greatest Showman, brought to the theatre by three production companies. I thought this may be an anomaly given all the technical aspects of filming a musical, but it is not out of the norm. The Post, a basic drama, required six production companies. Shape of Water and Three Billboards each had three while Jumanji was produced by four different entities.

I think about the competitive nature of the movie industry, yet somehow it has become routine for multiple companies to collaborate instead of compete. They have pooled both fiscal resources and human talents to make something that would not be possible without a joint venture. And it’s not just a few companies; for the five films mentioned above 17 different production firms are involved.

How can you take a lesson from this and find ways to partner with those inside your industry? Your collaboration could become a showstopper for all of you.

When watching the Olympics I wondered what prompted some of the athletes to get their start; what triggers someone to begin bobsledding or luge?

But those sports seem downright ordinary when I compare them to a novelty demonstration that I saw at a recent conference. Daniel Drake is the owner of Dancakes, a company that makes customized pancakes – for parties, celebrities and college programs. It sounds crazy, but he has millions of social media followers, has traveled around the world, been on The Today Show and now has multiple, full-time “pancake artists” spreading his brand around the globe.

How does one become a pancake artist? By doodling with batter in an effort to garner more tips while working at a diner. One thing led to another and now he makes custom pancakes based off a photograph on a phone – and does so in a matter of minutes. People can gather around and watch his art appear – either on the griddle or on the big screen TV screen behind him. The cakes resemble the photograph as much as a caricature drawing would – only they are edible.

Why limit yourself to ordinary jobs? Play around with your creativity and see where your talents lead you. Maybe it’s to the Olympics, or maybe you create your own category and become a pancake artist.

If I asked you whether you could recycle instrument strings, contact lenses, Solo cups, pasta packets, energy bar wrappers, cigarette waste, Flonase dispensers, Brita filters or GoGo Squeeze packets my guess is that you would say no. But you can!

Thanks to programs coordinated by TerraCycle, these items and many more are able to stay out of the landfills. TerraCycle is “an innovative recycling company that has become a global leader in hard-to-recycle waste.” They have multiple opportunities for consumers to recycle branded products without cost to them, just by signing up.

Take two lessons from this company:

First, just because your municipality doesn’t recycle something doesn’t mean that it isn’t recyclable. If you frequently use products in one of TerraCycle’s programs, it would be of great benefit to participate in their recycling plan.

Secondly, think of the implications for your organization. There are boutiques and specialists in many industries, but I suspect few have chosen hard-to-recycle consumer products as their niche. How can you think differently about an area in which to focus your efforts? You need not compete with the “big guys” and go head-to-head in common markets.

Organizations and companies invest significant resources in trying to recruit their customers and new employees. Some even invest time in trying to retain them, but those who do often dedicate minimal effort, certainly nothing to what they expend on the front end of the process.

But what if we looked at retention as re-recruiting.

My real estate broker from St. Louis continues to send me postcards quarterly, even though I have not lived there for ten years. He doesn’t rely on just retaining my relationship; he actively tries to re-recruit me several times a year.

How would you treat your employees if you sought to re-recruit them? Maybe you would do more paying attention to fit, aligning their skills, offering perks and benefits, talking about opportunities for advancement. Colleges who try to re-recruit their students continue to provide academic and co-curricular experiences that engage the students and prepare them for their future. Companies that wish to re-recruit customers continue to listen, provide new products in response to that feedback and offer samples or deals to entice people to say with them.

Retention can be passive whereas re-recruiting implies action and effort.

Many people who eat out at restaurants frequent the same place and order the same menu items. While this can be a comforting thing for the consumer, it likely means fewer return visits due to the monotony.

California Pizza Kitchen has adopted a novel way to inspire customers to try something different by offering a Menu Adventure Guarantee. “We encourage the spirit of adventure, especially when it comes to tasting new flavors,” their menu reads. “So try something new – if it doesn’t thrill you, we’ll replace it with your regular favorite.”

My dining companion was comforted enough by their offer to try the Citrus Adobo pizza for the first time. The waitress even came back to check whether he wished to exchange it (he did not).

The Menu Adventure Guarantee is a low-risk way to encourage others to take a risk that could pay off for you in the end. Think of how you can model this formula for your organization: offering a refund on a new service, allowing for a trial period, enclosing a sample of something new in a routine order, or making it easy for customers to have a do-over for the experience.

The biggest risk you are taking may the one that you aren’t acting upon.